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July 17, 2006
Genuine cast makes 'Superhero' superior
By Cynthia Littleton
Matthew Atherton, aka Feedback, of Colorado Springs, Colo., quit his job as a software engineer to be on "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?," the Sci Fi Channel series fronted and produced by comic legend Stan "The Man" Lee and reality veteran Bruce Nash.
When Darren Passarello (alias: Nitro G), a part-time comic book salesman from Staten Island, N.Y., says he "knows everything there is to know about superheroes," it's clear he's not exaggerating. And when Chris Watters, a deejay and father of two from San Francisco who also answers to Major Victory, says he "felt like a winner, not a wiener" after passing one of the show's "challenges," you wholeheartedly believe him.
Like the Comic-Con circus that stops in San Diego this week, the five women and six men who made the cut as contestants on "Superhero," which begins its six-episode run July 27, help explain why the entertainment industry is nuts about comic book adaptations these days.
You can't fake this kind of passion. Sure, producers buffed up the homemade costumes and makeup for the cameras, but these people came to the open "Superhero" auditions in various cities with alter egos in place.
They're battling not for money or worldly goods but rather immortality. The winner gets a comic book rendition of their character penned (breathlessly!) by Lee and published by Dark Horse Comics, plus a guest shot on a Sci Fi original series. Excelsior, indeed.
On the show, Lee serves as "judge and jury," popping up as an Oz-like figure on a wide-screen TV set, as the contenders are put through challenges designed to test their superhero mettle (like having to change into their costumes in downtown Los Angeles' Pershing Square).
"They wouldn't let me wear a costume," Lee quipped last week during the show's TCA session. "I'm still angry about that."
In many respects, "Superhero" is the perfect illustration of Lee's Marvel Comics mythos. Lee made his mark by creating superheroes a la Spider-Man, X-Men and Fantastic Four, who still grapple with everyday problems like paying the rent, or not being able to get time off from work when you get picked for the reality TV show of your dreams.
"I see this as the culmination of everything I've done in my life up to this point," says Atherton, whose "feedback field" enables him to temporarily emulate the powers of any video game he plays when he's in Feedback mode.
Most of the women adhere to the proud comic tradition of battling evil in skimpy outfits. But Fat Momma, aka Nell Wilson, a single mother from Lancaster, Calif., stands apart. She packs a utility belt ringed with doughnuts in her quest to "rid the world of bullies, one doughnut at a time."
Judging by the first episode, Major Victory is also one to watch. He has the best superhero hair, and a certain panache. Even when he's sprinting to someone's rescue, has to move to the beat of any music he hears, punctuated by disco-style finger pointing.
Amid all the laughs, there's a feel-good element to "Superhero." The show proves that the Stan Lee generation has finally taken over the universe.
